


The Final Battle

by foresthearts



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Being possessed by the mind-flayer gives him powers, Billy Has Issues, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Oblivious Steve, Powerful Billy, Season 3 Finale, Steve's heteronormativity is insane, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 21:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19484467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foresthearts/pseuds/foresthearts
Summary: Steve jumps down, heart beating. He has a plan--a stupid, mindless plan, too crazy to ever really work. But if the mind-flayer has its claws in Billy's brain, there's no way that connection is one-sided.If he could just talk to him, he's sure Billy could take control and fight back, buying them some time.(Or: the season finale goes a little different cause Billy's in love with Steve)





	1. Chapter 1

They’re throwing the firework grenades at the monster when he catches sight of Billy. In the middle of all the explosions and light, he can see that the guy is screaming in pain, looking like he’s the one getting pelted by bombs.

_They’re connected._ He thinks, and a crazy idea begins to form in his head.

Might as well try it. He looks back at Robin. “Cover me.” He says, throwing his walkie to the ground and running to the escalator. He slides down the railing, jumping off at the halfway point and running at Billy.

“Billy! Billy, you can fight this! Don’t let it control you!” Steve yells over the sound of explosions. Maybe, if he can get Billy to take control--maybe he could stop the monster. It was a shot in hell, but really no crazier than throwing fireworks at a monster bigger than Steve’s entire house.

Billy turns back at him, looking confused enough that he knows which one he’s talking to. “You’re strong!” Steve finally reaches him, grabbing his shoulders. “You can beat this thing!”

“Steve? Steve, what―” another explosion rocks the monster, and Billy cries out, clutching his side. “Steve, I can’t--I can’t control it--it’s too strong.”

“No, man, I believe in you, just fight it―”

“I can’t!” Billy lets out a sob. “I can’t, it’s too much, I don’t know how to fight it―” He pauses, as if listening to something. “I’m a monster anyways, why am I even trying?”

“You’re not―”

“I am.” Billy laughs humorlessly. “This―” He waves at the monster. “This whole thing? It’s me! It’s how I feel, my anger, my need for violence--I don’t know why it’s turned into this, but it’s all my fucking fault.”

“No, the thing―”

“Don’t you see, Steve?! It’s told me things! It’s possessed other people before and nothing’s happened. They didn’t have enough darkness in them, and it just withered away? But it possesses me once and all of a sudden―” He waved at the thing once more. “It’s unbeatable” he sobs, sounding defeated.

“That’s gotta be a lie―”

“Shut the fuck up, you don’t even know anything. My dad was right. I’m nothing but a plague that kills anything it touches.” Steve could see the thing growing stronger in the background, shifting and smiling.

”“No, you’re not—you’re a good person—“ the wind whips at Steve as he tried to keep Billy with him. It’s losing battle. The black veins are already shifting and taking back control. Billy, mostly inhuman, roars.

“I’m not! Fucking—I’m not—what makes you think you can just—“

“I know you! You’re—“

“You don’t know me! You’ve known me for all of a few months and I fucking beat you up for half of it. You think—fucking—my dad’s known me my whole life, and he—he’s the only one who’s known me my whole life, he _knows_ me. He knows how much of a fuck up I am!”

“You’re not a fuck up.“

“Fuck you. You fucking—- _WHY WOULD HE BEAT ME IF I WASN’T_ ?!” The mind flayer roared behind him. “Why would he beat me if I wasn’t a fuck up?! He doesn’t beat Max, or Susan, it’s _me_. It’s always me, because I’m always fucking up! So don’t fucking tell me I’m not, because I know it’s just some fucking bullshit. You have no idea who I am, Harrington. Don’t pretend like you do.”

Steve stood, unable to even think of a response. His head churned with possibilities. _No, he doesn’t—he only beats you because he has issues—why do you put that on yourself_? But his throat clogged up, and he stood there, unable to say anything as the vines of rot trailed up Billy’s face.

Billy looked away abruptly, and waved a hand angrily at one of the little kiosks nearby. It flew back and smashed against the wall. Rats swarmed it, eating the food that fell to the ground.

“Billy….Billy, I don’t think that’s true.” Steve said haltingly. His voice was choked with tears. “I hate that your dad’s ever made you think it was.”

“Bullshit. It’s just--I don’t have time for your bullshit.” Billy walked away from him, facing the beast. It looked satisfied, almost smiling with its gaping mouth. Darkness swelled around Billy’s shaking form, and for a few long moments, he was cocooned by a web of red and black membranes. It shook horribly before finally dripping off of him. In its place, two bat-like wings stood folded on Billy’s back. His hair, longer now, cascaded down his shoulders. As he turned around, Steve could see his eyes were entirely black, with only a little ring of gold irises in the middle. He advanced on Steve, looking eerily calm.

Steve stepped back, unable to help himself. As Billy walked, he saw feet with horrible claws, and black skin melting into tan at his chest, then turning black again down his arms. His hands looked like they were made of knives. 

“So I’m done, Stevie.” Billy said, voice empty. “I’m done trying to be good. Trying to change.” As he got closer, Steve couldn’t help but notice Billy was taller, more muscular. He craned his neck up to meet Billy’s black eyes. “From now on, I’m just going to do what I want.” Billy said, finally coming to a halt right in front of Steve.

“And what is that?” Steve challenged. He felt the adrenaline pumping inside of him. There was no way he was going to get out of this alive. “What do you want?”

Billy’s hand was surprisingly tender on his cheek. “Something more disgusting than anything you could imagine.” He answered, looking suddenly very sad. “It’ll make you hate me forever.”

Steve frowned, images of himself torn to shreds clambering in his head. “Then don’t do it,” he begged. “Come on, Billy. I know you’re stronger than this.”

Billy laughed once, a sad defeated huff of air. “Oh, Steve. I’m not. I never have been. This whole time, I’ve been trying, but...if you knew me. The thoughts I have. The things I’ve _done._ You’d be running for the hills.”

_If I run now, then you’d get an attack of opportunity._ Steve thought crazily. Freaking Dungeons and Dragons, coming up at the worst possible time.

“I’m not running.” He answered instead. If he could just calm Billy down, but the other boy was already looking down at him, a purposeful expression on his face.

“Let’s see what we can do about that, then.” Billy said, a sad smirk playing over his features. He looked resigned to some horrible fate, and Steve was sure he was about to be killed.

Billy leaned in. Maybe he would eat him. His mouth seemed to be—oh. Billy locked their lips and licked inside of Steve’s mouth. If Steve had been a girl, he would have thought it was a kiss, but he was a dude, and it was Billy. Billy, who had just been going on about all the awful things he wanted to do to Steve. It couldn’t be a kiss, it was just tasting him, figuring out what part to eat first.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of licking the inside of Steve’s mouth, he moved outward, trailing his lips along Steve’s jaw, and then finally sucking at Steve’s neck.

A vampire. That would explain the bat wings. Billy was a vampire and he was going to suck Steve’s blood.

What a way to go. It felt toe-curlingly good, the heat from his neck sending tingles all over his body. He weakly pushed at Billy’s shoulders, and received the sting of a bite for his efforts. He brought his hands down instantly.

Claws came up to greet his hands, and he was surprised by how soft and distracted they seemed. Instead of pinning his hands to the wall violently, Billy interlocked their fingers and kept them there for only a few minutes before trailing his hands over to Steve’s back and embracing. His mouth moved downwards, lingering at his clavicle before moving back, just a bit.

Billy’s eyes were intense on his own as he hovered just a few inches away from Steve’s mouth. “You don’t want this.” He said, after a few moments of silence. His voice trembled, and his eyes searched Steve’s face, looking for an answer.

Steve blinked. “Who would?” He didn’t want to be eaten, after all. Sure, it felt good, but his neck was still stinging from that bite, and he was sure there was more pain to come.

Billy’s face twisted, and he spun around, roaring like an animal. The thing behind him screamed as if stricken, and rushed to attack. Steve flinched, but the thing didn’t attack him. It attacked Billy, clawed tentacles stabbing into his back and chest.

“Wait, no!” Steve started forward on instinct, trying to pull out the tentacles. He could vaguely hear Dustin behind him, yelling at Steve to leave it.

That would be the smart thing to do. Let the thing and Billy take each other out. But Steve has always been stupid, and his instincts never made sense in the big scheme of things. All he knew right now was that he didn’t want anybody to die, not even Billy.

The tentacles slapped him away easily, and he flew through the air, landing on a potted plant a ways away. It flipped over, covering him in dirt. He gasped for breath, trying to stand up with the wind knocked out of him. When he got his bearings again, he saw El and Billy wrestling on the ground. The thing had released Billy, but only barely. It twisted and shuddered, lashing out at everything around.

Steve looked around, taking stock of everyone. Two of the kids hid in the doorway, watching everything play out. Two more fought in the balcony, bombs quickly running out. Robin was laying low on another balcony, Nancy and Jonathan on yet another. They seemed entirely focused on the monster, barely looking at what was happening below. El was now on the ground, Billy draped over her. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but he knew he couldn’t just leave her there to die.

He ran forward again, dodging tentacles left and right. One came right at him, and he dove to avoid it. He landed just shy of Billy and El, who were too wrapped up in each other to notice.

“She was pretty.” He heard El cry, repeating herself again. In the back of his mind, Steve wondered who she was talking about. Maybe some girlfriend?

“She was.” Billy agreed, now mostly lucid. He seemed determined, and Steve reached out blindly, grabbing his arm.

“Billy.” He said, unable to think of what to say. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

Billy smiled sadly. “Oh, Stevie. You always were too nice for your own good, weren’t you?” He lightly pushed Steve away, though. “It’s my battle. You just take care of the kids, okay?”

He turned back to the monster, resolute. It loomed, huge and powerful. The Goliath to Billy’s David. Just looking at it, you knew it was a hopeless fight. Billy walked forward, and the thing rushed him. He caught the first tentacle, screaming with the effort to hold it back. Tentacles lunged for him, though, getting his sides and his neck. He screamed, and Steve ran forward, unsure of how he would help, but determined to do something.

Billy looked back, and they made eye contact for a moment. Eyes, now mostly faded to blue, widened. Billy looked _scared._ A tentacled lunged for Steve. He tried to catch it, but it was too strong. It shoved him back, but didn’t cut him up through some miracle. It quivered in his hand, tightening and loosening reflexively as if held back by some otherworldly force.

He looked back to Billy. His face seemed concentrated in the most desperate of ways. Black veins pulsed at his eyes, and Steve could see blood dripping from his nose. Billy screamed again, sounding like he was getting torn apart.

“Billy!” Steve cried out dumbly, and Billy spun around, screaming again at the thing. Black veins poured from him to the thing, its tentacles turning black. They withered away, gunk falling to the floor, dead. Steve looked at it, amazed. When he looked back up, he saw Billy floating, black wings flapping in the air. His back was tense and muscled, and Steve saw him reach out his hands, clenching the air. 

It was the thing’s turn to scream. The blackness spread from the base of its tentacles, creating fissures in its red flesh. As it shrunk, it quivered and twisted like a wounded animal. Billy slowly landed on the ground, profile determined as he advanced on it. The blackness spread, stronger with every second. The thing shrunk more and more, until it was a screaming little sludge, no bigger than a rat. Billy leaned down and picked it up.

“You will not hurt him.” He said, voice raspy and determined. It screamed at him. He didn’t look impressed. “No, that’s it. You don’t control me any more.”

He clenched his hand, and squeezed. The thing turned black, withering to the ground.

With it finally dead, he turned back to Steve, wings folding neatly into his back. The blackness in his arms and chest subsided, leaving a mostly human looking Billy. He advanced on Steve, eyes as determined at they had been when they went against the mind flayer.

“Did it hurt you?” Billy asked as he approached. Steve shook his head, but Billy was already reaching out to his chest. It rested there for a moment, before both hands wandered over Steve’s chest and shoulders. “You’re unhurt then?”

“Yeah, but you―” Steve said, looking over Billy’s torso. It seemed completely unmarred, but that seemed impossible. He didn’t have much time to look, though, before Billy was pulling him into a desperate hug. He felt Billy’s nose bury in his hair, his hands clench at Steve’s back.

“I thought you were dead for sure. When you came running. I thought it was going to kill you, and I--I couldn’t--Oh, Steve. How was I ever going to go on without you?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” Steve answered, feeling a little out of his depth. He and Billy were not that close. Sure, Billy’d taken to hanging out for a few hours in the scoops ahoy shop, leaned over a bowl of ice cream and glaring at Robin anytime she made an appearance. But it’s not like they talked beyond Steve asking if Billy was okay and sneaking the poor guy some Cambell’s chicken noodle soup every now and then.

But that’s what anyone would do, seeing him looking like that!

As the hug continued longer than would ever be normal, and Billy’s body sagged against his own, Steve frantically rethought their entire relationship, all the way from the moment Billy almost beat him to death in the Byers’s place.

They’d been stuck together in that detention, he guessed, and Billy’d gotten roped into tutoring him for a few months afterwards. But it wasn’t like they spent the whole time talking. They barely got a few words of small talk in, and Billy always seeming rushed to leave.

Billy had gone to his graduation party that one time? And joined in on DnD that one time? Steve had talked with him a few times when he visited the pool, and Billy had come to Scoops Ahoy to make fun of him a few times….

None of that really explained why Billy was leaning on him with his entire body, after he’d literally ended the entire mind flayer just for Steve. It was ridiculous, actually. Inconceivable.

Finally the weight of Billy’s body leaning on him was too much, and Steve fell back, Billy sprawling over him. Billy didn’t even move, and as Steve checked him out, he noticed he was snoring lightly. Max finally rushed forward, pulling Billy’s head up to look at it.

“Is he okay?” She asked frantically. “Is he dead?”

Steve sat up. “Pretty sure snoring means he’s alive. Probably just wiped out.” He rolled his eyes. He tried to push the huge hunk of muscle off him, but Billy just growled, hugging him tighter in his sleep. “Is the gate closed?”

The kids closest to him looked blank, so when the rest of the group approached, he repeated his question.

“Not yet.” Dustin’s voice said over the walkie. “Hopper’s stuck in the room with the gate, and so we’re waiting for him to get enough out of the way.”

Robin nods. “I told them to cool it when I saw Billy was destroying that thing.” She smirks at him. “Who would’ve known gay love would save the day? You should’ve told me you swung that way, you know I’d be all for it.”

“What gay love?” Steve blustered, face heating. “We’re just friends.”

Robin just laughed, but she didn’t fight it. By this point, Steve had managed to wiggle into a sitting position, with Billy sprawled across his lap. Nancy spoke up. “Anyways, he saved the world, I don’t think we should make fun of the way he did it.”

“Or the stuff he did when he was under the control of the mind flayer,” Mike added.

Robin just rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, I get it. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Soon after, Hopper’s voice on the walkie. It was a welcome distraction. “We did it.” He said. “The gate’s closed.”

Then the paramedics came flooding the building. The group was separated as they were escorted to the hospital, questioned, or generally pushed around. Billy was rolled away on a stretcher, and Steve soon found himself outside, watching the kids reunite with their parents. He turned to Robin, who was arguing with Nance in the background. Jonathan looked pale and quiet beside them.

He sighed deeply, exhaustion filling him. Suddenly, he just wanted to be anywhere other than here. His hunger hit him like a brick, and he realized it had been hours since he'd eaten anything. He turned back to the others.

“Anybody want to go get a burger?”


	2. Chapter 2

THREE WEEKS LATER

Steve sat at the counter of the video store, arguing with Robin. It was too early for there to be any customers, and Steve felt the tiredness behind his eyes as she laughed at him.

“I’m telling you, that’s not what that was!” He insisted.

“Steve, his tongue was in your mouth. What else could it possibly be?”

“He was eating me!” Steve wished that didn’t sound as stupid as it came out. Robin looked unimpressed. “Look--look--I have proof! He bit me!” He pulled down his collar, revealing the purple bruise and scab.

“That’s a hickey! Steve are you seriously telling me that you are no-homoing an actual makeout session?”

“It wasn’t like that!” Steve protested. “You didn’t hear what he was saying. He was talking about all the awful things he was gonna do to me and stuff!”

Robin’s jaw actually dropped. “STEVE! Steve, I don’t even know what to say, there was even dirty talk and you still think it was straight?”

“A kiss isn’t a horrible thing to do to someone, though! And it wasn’t dirty talk, it was like, ‘run away I’m evil’ talk.” Steve groaned, looking out the window for a customer who could save him from this horrible conversation. His eyes widened as he saw the worst possible person making their way across the street in his direction.

“Oh my gosh, you’re so clueless, I can’t even―”

“Shit! Shut up, shut up, he’s coming in!” Steve cut her off, jumping behind the counter hurriedly. He faceplanted on the ground and stayed there. Maybe if he was lucky, Billy wouldn’t see him.

No luck. Billy’s smile was huge as he walked through the doors. “Steve Harrington! I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s a new thing.” He answered, slowly getting up. Steve had been very careful to keep it that way. He gave a panicked look at Robin. She had the same shit-eating grin she got whenever he was an idiot in front of girls. He made a face at her to shut up.

Billy glanced back at her, smile falling a bit. When he turned back to Steve, it was back in place, but didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You got your girlfriend working here too, I see.”

“Oh, she’s not my girlfriend.” Steve rushed to say. “We’re just friends.”

“Mmhmm.” Billy looked like he didn’t believe that for a second. “Anyways, I just wanted to talk to you for a sec, if that’s okay. Uh, in private.”

“Oh! Sure.” Steve glanced at Robin, and motioned for her to take over the counter. They made their way to the back of the shop, landing in between the adult content section and the documentaries.

Steve was expecting Billy to crowd into his space, like he had from the beginning, but unexpectedly, the other boy kept his distance. He played with the hem of his shirt, not making eye contact. He seemed to be thinking of what to say, so Steve took the chance to check him over with his eyes, keeping track of any differences. There was a scar in the center of his chest, and his hair hung a little longer, mullet gone. He stood taller than Steve now, too, looming a bit.

“I like your hair.” Steve commented neutrally. He’d never really been a fan of the mullet. It looked a little weird on people. Billy pulled it off more than most, but he definitely looked better like this.

Billy glanced at him, pulling a few strands behind his ear. “I haven’t gotten the chance to cut it with anything except some craft scissors.” He said, uncharacteristically modest. “I still need to go to the barber.”

“Nah, this is way better than that awful mullet. Just leave it.” Steve said. “Anyways, what did you want to talk about?”

Billy bit his lip, pulling a cigarette out and lighting it. “I just wanted to say thanks. For helping me or whatever. Not running away, even if you hated it and stuff.” He gestured to his mouth, and between that and his tone, he could not more clearly be referencing the not-kiss they’d shared. Humiliating.

“Oh, yeah. Well, I was pretty sure if I did, you’d kill me.” Steve said honestly, but it was the wrong thing. Billy shut down, looking at the ground.

“Oh. I see.” His voice was bitter. 

“Yeah, it’s no big deal. I get it. It was the mind flayer. Not you. So you don’t have to apologize or anything. I know it wasn’t, like, you.”

Billy let out a breath that seemed halfway between disappointed and relieved. “Yep. definitely the mind flayer. It really had the hots for you.”

Steve groaned. “Ugh. Don’t put it that way. I’ll never hear the end of it from Robin. I keep telling her you were trying to eat me, but she’s convinced it was a kiss or something.” He laughed a little, to show how ridiculous he thought that was. “Gross, right?” Whoops, he probably overcompensated on that one.

Billy looked pole axed. “Yeah. Uh. Totally gross. Stuff of nightmares.”

“Yeah. Well. Anyways, you don’t have to worry about it. It was totally fine. Like, the bite hurt a bit, btu the rest of it was chill. It didn’t hurt at all.” Steve hurried to assure him, but Billy just looked like Steve had killed his puppy or something. Steve rushed to make him feel better. “It actually felt good, ya know? I think you had some sort of vampire magic or something. It was tingly and stuff. So you definitely don’t have to worry about it.”

Billy got a weird look on his face. “You liked it?”

Steve’s face suddenly felt like it was a hundred degrees. He’d over corrected! Abort! Abort! “No! No, I was thinking you were gonna eat me, so I was scared, duh. But I’m just saying it didn’t hurt.”

But something about that had done the trick. Billy smiled, all confident swagger once again. He moved into Steve’s space again. “Vampire magic, huh?” 

Steve looked away, refusing to move and let Billy show how on edge he was making him. “Oh my god. Shut up.”

“That good, huh, Harrington? Wow, seems like I’ve still got it, even when I’m under mind-control voodoo.” He laughed, draping an arm over Steve’s shoulders.

Steve buried his face in his hands. “Can we just drop it? It was just the superpowers or whatever.”

“Oh please. What, I had an aphrodisiac in my spit?”

“You can’t prove otherwise!” Steve argued.

Billy leaned back, smiling dangerously. “Oh I can’t?”

“Yeah, so we’ll always just have to--wait, what are you doing?” Billy’d turned him so they were facing, with Billy’s hands cradling his hips. Steve could feel their warmth through the thin cotton of his shirt.

“Proving it. If I kiss you right now, and you feel nothing, then we’ll know for sure, and I won’t tease you anymore.”

And, well, that made a lot of sense. And Steve was sure he wouldn’t feel anything. He was straight, and Billy was not that good. He couldn’t be.

“Fine. Try me, then.” Steve challenged, and Billy leaned in, pressing their lips together. And, oh shit, Steve’s lips had always been sensitive, but there was no excuse for them to be feeling this good. A hit tongue slipped past them, and his mouth sparked with pleasure as it explored the inside of his mouth. Billy’s hands clenched hard for a second, pulling him closer, before smoothing out. Steve’s heart jumped in his chest, pleasure curling to his stomach as Billy sucked on his tongue.

Shit. shit shit. Billy was a phenomenal kisser.

The bell rang at the door, signalling a customer coming in, and Billy finally pulled away, slowly releasing his grip on Steve’s hips. He took a big step back, looking Steve up and down.

“Bastard.” Steve muttered, wiping his mouth as if that would remove the unsettling truth that Billy had definitely gotten him hot just from a little kissing. “That was totally unfair.”

He glanced over to see Billy’s whole face light up. “Yep, Stevie, I’m just that good.” He walked back a few more steps. “Anyways, I’ll see you around. Call me if you need any lessons for your girlfriend.”

“What―”

“I’ll teach you how to show her a good time.” He licked his lips suggestively. “Seems like you might need the instruction.”

Steve felt sudden anger bubble inside him, and he impulsively threw a video cassette at the smirking boy. Billy caught it easily and brought it with him as he walked out, laughing. “Thanks, Stevie! I’ll make sure to get this back to you tomorrow!”

Robin watched him walk away with a skip in his step, and then took in the ruffled-looking Steve.

“It’s not what it looks like.” Steve said pathetically, and Robin actually laughed out loud.

“Sure, Steve. You keep telling yourself that.”

Steve groaned. These two were going to be the death of him.


End file.
